House of Commons Hansard #199 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was public.
Gerry Ritz Canadian Alliance Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, one of Claude Boulay's companies of convenience, Media IDA Vision, controlled 75% of all government advertising contracts last year. At the same time, Media Vision, another of Mr. Boulay's shell companies garnered 75% of Communication Canada contracts. The treasury board clearly states that any one contractor cannot control more than 25%.
Why does the government continually ignore the rules on market dominance for its liberally connected friends?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, as I indicated to the House earlier, having heard the specific statistics cited in the House yesterday, upon which these allegations are based, I have started to review the arithmetic. It would appear that the calculation is much different than that which is alleged here. However my examination of that is not yet complete. I will report to the House as soon as it is complete.
I would point out in relation to the sponsorship program, that there is a very clear 25% limit that applies, not only to any single firm but to all its affiliates and subsidiaries.
Gerry Ritz Canadian Alliance Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, those are the new rules that came in a week ago Monday when the minister took over. These are under the old rules. Let us go back there and check that out.
The treasury board rules are crystal clear. If any contractor commands more than 25% of the business, and this is its rule, remedial action will be taken to eliminate market dominance. It is concerned about this, but the Liberals are not. The Liberals did nothing while Claude Boulay piled up 75% of Liberal advertising and sponsorship moneys.
Did Mr. Boulay's Liberal donations have anything to do with the government's refusal to enforce its own rules?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, one of the things that was included in the report of the auditor general was an expression of her concern that all treasury board rules and guidelines had not been respected. That is something that deeply troubles me as I am sure it troubles the President of the Treasury Board. Together we will determine exactly what transpired with respect to these allegations. If there were errors, or mistakes or wrongdoing, they will be corrected.
Ghislain Lebel Bloc Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, in 2001, CD-ROM/Dessin animé made an application for $125,000. But the total amounts paid out for that one application came to $544,087, four times the initial amount requested.
How can the Minister of Public Works and Government Services justify something like this?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, with all sincerity, I did miss the beginning of the question. I did not hear exactly the file to which the member was referring.
With your permission, would you allow him to restate the question? I am not able to identify the file.
Government ContractsOral Question Period
The Speaker
Would the hon. member for Chambly be kind enough to clarify his first point?
Ghislain Lebel Bloc Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, the list of grants awarded shows that CD-ROM/Dessin animé made an application for $125,000, which it received.
But the total amount paid out for this single application came to $544,087, four times the amount requested.
How does he justify this?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, I think that kind of technical question should appear on the order paper, but just let me offer this assurance. In every case where there may be circumstances that raise questions or suspicions in the minds of officials as they go about the review they have undertaken, they are duty bound by the terms of the Financial Administration Act to report any irregularities to the appropriate authorities.
I want to assure the hon. gentleman that in all cases that is being done.
Ghislain Lebel Bloc Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would be only too pleased to enter it on the order paper, but I have to table this huge pile of scandals.
CD-ROM/Dessin animé applied for $125,000, but the professional fees alone come to $319,495.
How does the Minister of Public Works and Government Services explain that the cost of professional fees is more than double the initial grant application?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, I want to be careful here to make sure that he and I are referring to the same file, the same matter.
Let me just say this: My officials are reviewing all of the files between 1997 and the year 2000. In the course of that review, if and when they find anything that raises legal questions, the appropriate references to police authorities are done.
James Rajotte Canadian Alliance Edmonton Southwest, AB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Industry emphatically stated in the House that “not a single penny” of the $87 million loan had been given to Cascade Data Services Inc. That completely contradicts the public accounts.
The public accounts clearly state that this company received $300,000 from Technology Partnerships Canada in the year 2000. Either the public accounts are wrong or the minister is wrong.
I ask the minister today, was he mistaken yesterday when he said that?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Industry
No, Mr. Speaker. We have asked officials. The amount in the public accounts is a contingency amount set aside in the event that amounts were needed to be advanced. No moneys were advanced because conditions have not yet been satisfied.
Let us remember what we are talking about here. We are talking about a risk sharing investment in a brand new technology that has the possibility of creating jobs and achieving the very objectives we all believe so strongly in, which are an innovative economy and a growing country.
No money has yet been advanced and will not be until the conditions are satisfied.
James Rajotte Canadian Alliance Edmonton Southwest, AB
Mr. Speaker, then the government has to clean up the public accounts: the public accounts 2000-01 total amount spent in that year, totalling over $100,000, Cascade Data Services Inc., $300,000.
The minister has to come clean on this loan. Why is a loan given to a company with no website, no public telephone number and no address known to people in that region? Why is the government doing this?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, with great respect to the member, that is just not the way it works. The money was put in the contingency account in the public accounts in case it was needed. It was not needed. It was not disbursed.
I am happy to arrange a briefing for the member with the officials, who can take him through it from one end to the other.
We have committed to an $87 million investment in a great new idea in a growing area of the economy, but no money has yet been advanced and will not be until the conditions are satisfied. We are there to make sure the taxpayers are protected.
Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Côte-De- Beaupré—Île-D'Orléans, QC
Mr. Speaker, there are some pretty amazing things included in the sponsorship program, to say the least.
For example, for the year 2000, promoters of CD-ROM/Dessin animé asked for $450,000 and received $550,000 after paying the middlemen, in other words $100,000 more than they had asked for.
How can the Minister of Public Works explain this extraordinary luck by which many like CD-ROM/Dessin animé received far more than they asked for, after some very generous political contributions were paid along the way?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Again, Mr. Speaker, the question does not precisely identify a particular file or transaction, but I want to assure the hon. gentlemen and I hope he will listen to these words carefully. All of these files are under review by my officials. Where there is any evidence of wrongdoing that raises legal questions, those files are referred to the appropriate police authorities immediately.
Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Côte-De- Beaupré—Île-D'Orléans, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister of public works' own records indicate that $752,000 was paid out to cover this application for $450,000.
How can the minister explain that, not only was $100,000 more paid out than was originally asked for, but also the government paid out in a commission of $82,500 along the way, as well as a production subcontract of $120,000, which was also not part of the original application? Is this not called giving the customer more than he asked for?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, first, if the hon. gentleman would specifically identify the file he is referring to, I would give him a specific answer to a specific question.
Second, let me assure him that where these matters have raised legal questions, they have been referred to the police.
Diane Ablonczy Canadian Alliance Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, while the Liberals are consumed with building leadership empires and casting about for traitors in their midst, Canadians have to be wondering who is actually taking care of the nation's business.
Today we learn of yet another case where Canadian visa documents mysteriously disappeared from our supposedly highly secure diplomatic mail service.
Would the part time minister of anti-terrorism tell Canadians what, if anything, has come to light about the likely criminal misuse of these entry documents by organized networks?
Denis Coderre LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I would like to answer my part time critic that blank Canadian visas were sent to one of our embassies--
ImmigrationOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order. I am sure the hon. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration appreciates all the help with the answer, but the Speaker does not because he has to be able to hear the answer.
The hon. minister has the floor and I would appreciate it if hon. members send their assistance to the minister by written note rather than orally.
Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC
Mr. Speaker, of course I think it is a very important matter.
First I would like to mention that the documents were misplaced at the embassy. Then we checked up and the documents were later found, not tampered with, in the secure area of the embassy to which only Canadians have access. The procedures have been changed since then, but we found the visas.
Diane Ablonczy Canadian Alliance Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, the minister very cleverly skates over the question of what was happening to these documents while they went missing. The fact of the matter is that this was last summer. They could well have been used for counterfeiting purposes by organized networks to get into Canada prior to September 11.
Is the minister really buying the story that somehow these important documents that have to be personally signed for at every mission just got tucked into a convenient corner and there was no problem with the fact that they could not be found or located for six weeks?